Outpost Meets The Outback

A rough and ready day pack with plenty of functional features is your best friend when hitting the trails in the outback. For their recent trip to the top end, Nigel and Sue from @nigelandsueadventures opted for the Outpost 25L Day Pack as they ventured around the Northern Territory and its best short walks. Read on for their gear review below and check out their adventures in Field Notes.

Outpost 25L Day Pack

One of the most important pieces of gear when doing day hikes is your backpack. You want something that's comfortable and with the right amount of room for your water, snacks, jacket and camera gear. We put the Mountain Designs Outpost 25L day pack to the test on our recent adventures in the outback and found a bag that was up to the challenge.

Field Test

On our 'Top Hikes in the Top End' series, we chose the Outpost 25L day pack, and not only was it a great pack in terms of size and features, but most importantly, it was super comfortable even at the end of an almost 8-hour hike. We have also been using this pack on our recent mountain biking adventures, and it performs equally as well on the bike.

When you're choosing a back pack for day hikes there are several factors to consider. Firstly, you want the pack to be comfortable. The fit is extremely important. The Outpost has several adjustable straps, both at the top and bottom of the shoulder straps, and at the waist strap, so that you can ensure the pack sits comfortably with the weight distributed between your hips and shoulders. The padded waist strap ensures that you can carry the weight on your hips, preventing shoulder pain after a long day on the trails. I really loved the adjustable chest strap - being able to slide this up and down meant even more comfort around the chest area.

Meet Nigel and Sue, whose country-wide travels recently took them to the Northern Territory for some top treks. (Images courtesy of Nigel & Sue Adventures)

Secondly, the pack needs to be functional and fit all your necessary gear. The Outpost has a separate section for your hydration bladder, with a small hole to fit the hose through. It's a bit of a squeeze to get the hose through, but this stops rain or dust getting into the pack through the hole. There are Velcro straps to hold your bladder in place, so especially if you're using a smaller bladder, it doesn't just sink to the bottom of the pack.

The Outpost pack has two main zippered compartments to store your gear, and on the outside it has several elasticated compartments for things you want to grab quickly on the go (snacks, extra drink bottle, phone etc). Inside the main compartment is a zippered section which is great for car keys - let's face it, who wants to go hunting around the bottom of the pack when you get back from a long hike! I used this section to store extra camera batteries and SD card.

The Outpost 25L was their day pack of choice, and its functionality, comfort and durability held up to the rigours of the treks. (Images courtesy of Nigel & Sue Adventures)

One of the things I liked best about this pack is the zip attachments. Having the large loops on the end of the zips, means that you can access the inside of the pack without having to take your gloves off - always handy when biking (or in the cold).

The pack is made of sturdy material and dealt with the tough 'Top End' environment well. Just a wipe over with a damp cloth got rid of any red dust! Lastly, the pack has a stowable rain cover at the bottom, so it's hidden away, but there when you need it.

Overall, we rate the Outpost 25L day pack at five stars.

Photo Credits

All imagery supplied by Nigel & Sue Adventures

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